CenterPointe Christian Church
Series: U-ology
Message 2: U & Him
Date: 7.17.05
Key Text: Philippians 2:5
Last week we talked about friendship and the need we have in our lives for friends. I made the point that America, as great as a nation as we are, is one of the loneliest nations in the world. While chasing after the American dream we’ve managed to isolate ourselves to the point that we are facing the disease of loneliness.
The church should be the place where we can find friendship. Would you agree with me?
In order to develop friendship we must make time to get to know each other. Let’s do that right now. Let’s divide up into groups of 5-7 people. Guys with guys and ladies with ladies and try to get with some people you don’t know.
In your groups discuss these questions: (questions 1-7 on same slide, 8 on one slide and 9 on another slide)
1. Make sure you know each others name.
2. How long have you been coming to CenterPointe?
3. Where do you live?
4. What do you do for a living?
5. Are you married? Single?
6. Do you have children?
7. What hobby do you enjoy?
8. What character traits do you look for in a friend?
9. How would you describe the mind of Christ? What is Jesus Christ like? Describe His character.
Introduction
In 1929 a German scientist by the name of Hans Berger proved what many scientist had suspected for years. There is electrical activity in the brain.
His discovery led to the development of the, elec-tro-en-see-fala-graph.
These devices enabled medical personal to measure and record the electrical activity of the brain known as an EEG. This was found to be very helpful in diagnosing disorders and malfunctions of the brain. For the first time in history man was able to take a look at what was going on inside the brain.
We now have modern devices – CAT scans and brain scans -- which allow even a closer look at the brain. All of which are very helpful to doctors.
While we can see the function of the brain we cannot know the thoughts of a person. We cannot know what another person is thinking. This of course is for the better. As you can imagine what would happen if we could know each others thoughts.
But let us say that it was possible for them to open up your mind and see what was in there.
• What would they find?
• I would say that if they could they would probably find some good stuff.
• I also believe that they would find stuff that would bring to you much embarrassment and shame. I know they would with me.
The Apostle Paul tells us what I minds should be like if they could open up our minds. He tells us that our minds should be extremely different than those who are not followers of Christ.
Philippians 2:5
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. (NIV)
Let this same attitude, purpose and mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: (Amplified Bible)
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. (KJV)
Think as Christ Jesus thought. (New Life Version)
What does it mean?
• To have an attitude the same as Christ?
• To have His purpose?
• To have a mind like His?
• To think as Christ Jesus thought?
Today’s message is titled U & Him. Specifically it should be our goal to have the same thoughts, purpose, and mind as Christ. Today I want to look at what this mindset is and then how our friends help our hurt this goal.
What should scientist find if they could look into the mind of a Christian?
Let’s look at what the God’s word says about our mind.
Discovery #1: The attitude of Christ imitates Christ’s thoughts.
• The Christian should have the same likes and dislikes that Christ has.
• The mind of Christ is that mind that asks "What would Christ do in this situation?"
• It is a mind that seeks to imitate Christ in all that it does and thinks.
• The mind of Christ would be one that is found to be asking questions such as:
o Would Christ watch this movie?
o Would Christ watch this TV program?
o Would he act the way I act at my job?
o Would he treat his family the way I treat my family?
The mind of Christ is one that continues to ask itself "What would Christ do?"
And then after asking that question will seek God’s guidance through prayer, wise counsel, and the Word to find the answers.
The mind of Christ is one that has the attitude of Christ and seeks to imitate Christ.
Discovery #2: The Christian has a renewed mind!
• It is a mind that is untainted or been cleaned of sin.
• A mind that does not have its thoughts centered on this world, but on the things of above.
• Romans 12:2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
• A renewed mind as the scripture states is not that has been conformed to this world, but a mind that is concerned with the perfect will of God.
• It is mind that does not agree with the immorality of this world just because society states that it is OK.
• It is a mind that knows what is good and acceptable according to the will and word of God.
• To many times we in fact do allow society to shape how we feel about things, we allow ourselves to be conformed to this world. I think of the things they show on TV now a days. The swearing, the nudity, the violence. If you showed this stuff on TV 20 years ago you would have had a tremendous outcry. Today, nothing, we just accept it as how society is. And we accept it because we have allowed ourselves to be conformed to this world.
• But for the Christian their mind should be renewed, they should be repulsed by what they see and refuse to take part in it.
Discovery #3: A mind that is full of the love of God.
Love that is found in every part of the mind. Love that just kind of oozes out!
Luke 10:27 "So he answered and said, " ’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ’your neighbor as yourself.’ "
The love of God should be found in our minds. Notice the Scripture states that we should love God not with half our minds, but all our minds.
Let me ask you, when is that last time you told God you loved Him? When you pray to God do you tell him how much you love Him? If you don’t you need to. You need to let the Love that you have for God fill every corner and crevice of your mind.
And the love which we have for God needs to effect all of all thoughts, in fact if we do love God with all our minds as we should, everything that comes out of or into our minds should be affected by that love.
Discovery #4: No worry or anxiety.
Worry should be absent from our minds.
Luke 12:29, The word of our Lord; "And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind."
The Christian mind, the mind of Christ, is one of trust.
• It is a mind that trusts in the Lord.
• The unbeliever really has nothing to trust in other than him or her self.
• And we all know what that leads to, worry.
• When we trust in the Lord we can escape that worry.
• The Christian mind needs to place his trust in God, because God controls all things. It is His world, He created it, He runs it, and He is in charge.
• And that Christian mind is not an anxious mind because it trusts in the one who is in charge.
Discovery #5: A mind that has been set on humble things.
It is not a mind that is obsessed with the riches of the world; it is not a mind that is concerned with keeping up with the Jones. It is not a mind that wants power and authority, but it is a humble mind.
Romans 12:16 "Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion."
When you think about a humble mind it is one that already has that thing we already spoke of.
• A renewed mind, controlled by the Spirit.
• A mind that loves God, a love that puts God first.
• A mind that does not worry because it knows that God is in change.
• When you have these things, in the measure which you ought to have, it shows that you have a humble mind.
As our scientist digs deeper into our minds he begin to notice that in every Christian he looked at there minds would be the same. They would all have the same traits, the same concerns, the same purpose. Now they may differ in how to accomplish that purpose but the purpose would none the less be the same. They would all have that love of God oozing out of them, all have that lack of anxiety, all have the humbleness. He would see that the Christian minds are like one another.
The scientist should make several more discoveries about the Christian mind. Let’s quickly look at some passages that further describe the Christian mind.
Romans 15:5-6 "Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
In all the references in the Bible that deal with the Christian mind the one theme that is repeated over and over is that we are to be like-mined, that are to have one mind. And that mind of course is the mind of Christ.
2 Corinthians 8:12 "For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have."
In the context of this verse Paul is speaking of giving, but in the broader context it speaks of having a mind which is willing to obey the Lord. It is mind willing to do those things which the Lord has called on us to do.
Colossians 3:2 "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."
How hard it is to do this. To keep our minds on the things of above. Yet this is the mind of Christ which are to have. Living in this world it can be at time difficult to realize that all that we see here, this church, the trees, the houses, all of it will be gone. And the only things that will be left are the thing that really matter. And those are the things we need to keep our minds on. For the only things which will last are the things of above.
1 Thessalonians 4:11 "that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,".
Now of course the Christian mind is not one that knows nothing about others. It is not a mind that minds it’s own business to the point of apathy, of not caring for others. It is a mind that may know others business for the purpose of bring that business up for prayer. For helping out that other person. If we known others business for the purpose of wanting to tell others, or for the sake of knowing something someone else does not know, then as Paul states the Christian mind, the mind of Christ, should mind it’s own business.
2 Timothy 1:7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
• A sound mind is one that is not carried away with every wind of doctrine.
• A sound mind is one that does not go for superstitions.
• A sound mind is one that discerns between what is of God and what is not.
• A sound mind is one that does not go along with something because it sounds good.
• A sound mind tests everything according to the Scripture.
• A sound mind is what a Christian mind ought to be.
Let’s do a mind evaluation really quick: We are supposed to like Him.
• Do you have a mind which is renewed by the Holy Spirit of God?
• Do you have a mind which is full of the love for God, do you love him with your entire mind?
• Is your mind set on humble things the things of above? Or is it set on the things of this world, of the riches of this world?
• Is your mind like that of other Christians? Are you like-minded with other Christians?
• Do you have a willing mind? A mind that is willing to obey God? A mind willing to stand up for what is right in God’s eyes?
• Do have a mind that minds it’s own business? A mind that desires to know about others for reasons of prayer and to help out. Or a mind that just want to know things so you can tell others.
• Do you have sound mind? A mind that can discern the things of God? A mind settled on the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ?
Let me be real with you. I want to be like Him. I know YOU want to be like HIM or you wouldn’t be here this morning. I fail in these areas. I fail at having the mind of Christ.
So how do we develop this mind?
Scripture reading is must.
A growing prayer life is vital.
Memorizing scripture.
Regular worship.
But more importantly. Having friends who hold these same values and then spending time, lots of time with them.
In the Gospels there is a really cool story. Jesus is teaching in a house. A very crowded house. There are 5 guys who are friends. One guy though is paralyzed. Unable to move. These guys had so much faith in Jesus that they knew they had to get their friend before Jesus. They put the guy on a mat. Went to the house and climbed up on top. They made a whole in the ceiling and lowered him down through the ceiling right in front of Jesus. Jesus saw their faith and healed the man.
See, friends were there to help when all the chips are down.
Without friends who have the same mind, purpose, and goals as you. You will not succeed at a growing prayer life, scripture memorization, regular worship. Who are your friends? As we continue in this series called U-ology I want to you to be thinking about two things. One, who are your friends. Two, do really want the mind of Christ. Next week as we continue in this series we are going to bring together how Christ wants community in the church to work.
Let’s pray.
